Posted onJune 1, 2015|Comments Off on Nothing like a little education with your birthday cake and beer

Never let it be said that the members of Letterkenny Riding Club shirk an opportunity to broaden their minds. Last Friday evening saw a sizeable group of them following the hops to Kinnegar Brewing in Rathmullan where Libby, Rachel and Louise explained to a very receptive audience just how that magical liquid, beer, comes into being. The Cuffes, long-time brewery fans, were with the club in spirit as they knocked back pints of Kinnegar in the Black Sheep pub in Dublin.

Afterwards, for the practical side of the lesson, the group took a quick jaunt down the road to the Taproom, in the cellar of Rathmullan House. Kinnegar beer and a motley collection of other beverages helped wash down the wood-fired pizzas that were brought to the table in quartets. Ever taller stories of blind horses and talking crows brought the evening’s entertainment to the pivotal point when Enda’s birthday cake arrived on the table, rounding off a simple but satisfying meal.

Next Friday sees the return of horses to our club activities – remember what they are?

Pictured below: Following the hops in Donegal and Dublin.

Comments Off on Nothing like a little education with your birthday cake and beer

Posted onMay 24, 2015|Comments Off on Social climbers: Enda reveals all

Where do I start – the wrestlers in lycra or the wall. They both had the ladies in a sweat.

More on the men in pink in a moment but first the 12 members who made the journey to Derry on Friday for a mystery evening all rose to the challenge and what a challenge. The highest indoor climbing wall in Ireland in the new Foyle Arena looked daunting at first but in the end it was conquered by all. The most impressive was Paddy “Spiderman” Gallagher who was first to the top in record time. Years of practice scaling walls to raid orchards paid off. There was no stopping Paddy after he figured out how to get back down again. He was so high he was out of ear shot to get his instructions for the descent. After lots of “sorries” the message got through. More impressive performances followed from Hazel “Im not doing this I’m scared of heights” Mahoney, Louise “let me at it” Edwards, Pauric “you need a stronger rope” McCrory and Erin who relished beating her dad to the top.

Not to be out done Suzanne Deeney Wylie, Mary Finneran and our latest recruit Paul O’Kane left many in their wake as they scaled new heights. Then we had the Smith/Chambers combination who wanted to share the one rope but in the end were easily separated when Ann left her fiancee in her slipstream. Enda and Marina also had their own domestic duel. As for the wrestlers next door in lycra – enough said ladies.

Pictured below: No sign of a horse anywhere — club members conquer the wall.

It’s nearly time for our annual big day out at Hillsborough Farm, competing on grass as the summer gets into full swing. Our show follows the same format as in previous years. We have a new dressage judge, just to keep everybody on their toes, with Jackie replacing Petra in the hot seat.

We’ll be building the course on Friday 12 June and everybody is asked to come out and lend a hand. Many hands really do make light work. Please also make sure that you contribute as much to the jumps collection as possible, and particularly to the dressing department. It’s quite amazing how plants, brush and some well chosen props can transform the course into something we can really be proud of.

Time to sit down together again to plot a course the good ship Letterkenny Riding Club as we approach the summer months. Everybody is welcome and encouraged to attend in Tir na nOg this Thursday, 21 May, at 8pm.

A lot has been going on. Luckily a picture is better than a thousand words so you’ll enjoy a quick visual catch up on club activities in the Gallery. Many thanks to Anne for supplying great photos of our cross country schooling sessions, Flowerhill, and our magnificent victories at the recent Audrey Jacob Team Challenge.

With just 10 days to go (and Flowerhill to enjoy) before our big team challenge day in Eglinton, here’s the schedule for the event. remember to let Vera and Francis know if you want to ride on a team. Everybody is welcome!

Posted onApril 4, 2015|Comments Off on Great Easter ride-out with Dawn in Drumkeen

It’s always good to explore new territory and Dawn’s active participation in the club has brought us new scope for adventure in the Drumkeen area. Our Good Friday group of riders — Keary, Anne, Leo, Shauna and Dawn herself — met at Dawn’s homeplace and rode out for an hour through forestry roads and back down to the nearby quarry.

Gary treated everybody to fish and chips afterwards from the local fish van, setting the hospitality bar high for the coming ride-out season! Thanks to Dawn and Gary for a really enjoyable expedition.

It’s time to make some concrete plans for Flowerhill as well as laying the foundations for our Audrey Jacob Northwest Team Challenge at the end of April. We’ll run through these topics at a club meeting at Tir na nOg on Wednesday 1 April. Everybody welcome.